The Transgression of a Misunderstanding
by BloodAsMyInk
Summary: "Who is the Doctor?" The question wasn't an easy one to answer. "I've never actually met the Doctor, but I've heard of him. He travels in a blue police box. He has a fondness for humans. He is not human, and we think that he might be... the only one left of his species. But, that's all we know, really." If only she could understand who he was.
1. Prologue

**A/N**: So... my first ever crossover story. I'm excited, nervous, and a little bit stressed over how this will be received. So I'll go ahead and hand out this warning now: This story will be SLOW GOING. I don't want to cut out anything that I feel is pertinent to it, I don't want to build the plot up too quick, and honestly, I'm thoroughly enjoying writing this. I have somewhere around 20k words written, and I write three times a week, and usually do a section or two.

Some parts are going to be long, others are going to be short. It depends on what I feel I should post with stuff. But I have no real plot in my head yet, I'm just kind of winging it with it. I'm hoping I get the characters write because even though I'm a Buffy and Doctor Who fanatic, I'm not sure if they'll come across right. This is why I'm declaring this story AU. It takes place in the same universe, but yet at the same time... it's different. The characters may act OOC sometimes, although I'm going to try really hard to stick to them and how they would react. Either way, I hope you enjoy!

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**The Transgression of a Misunderstanding**

_By BloodAsMyInk_

**Prologue**

**London, England**

A soft humming could be heard throughout the room as a group of people sat in a circle upon bamboo mats, their legs folded to where their feet rested upon their thighs. To describe it as a room would be a travesty though, as it was not so much a room as a makeshift forest contained in a large circular room with skylights as the ceiling.

Much like a greenhouse, except the plants grew wild about them, the trees curving to the contour of the dome ceiling. Lush forest like blossomed about them as they sat in a circular clearing in the center of the contained wildlife.

A large gem sat in the middle of the circle with various incenses lit and burning around it, the smoke from them creating a kind of cloudy mist in the center of the group. The haze rose from the incense to create a dense cloud across the ceiling of the room they sat in. All sat with their eyes closed, and their faces were relaxed to a point where it seemed almost as if they were asleep. If it were not the humming that they did in chorus with one another, they could have been mistaken as sleeping.

But instead, they were very much awake, and very much aware of their surroundings. A small amount of time slipped by and the humming slowly receded to where only silence was left in the room. As the silence began to stretch on to where it seemed as if it would last forever, one man opened his eyes and stared around at the group of people with him. His light greenish gray eyes observed all of those sitting around him before he spoke, his English accent heavy as he asked, "Let us begin with Anita, what did you see and feel?"

A petite female opened her eyes and stared at the swirling cloud of grayish smoke that hung in the air before them. Her emerald green eyes were glazed over as she began to speak in a monotone voice to begin with, "I saw the world around us, moving it at a pace far faster than it should. They are too busy to notice anything significant that is occurring around them. They do not feel the moan of the earth as they drain her; they do not hear the cries of pain. I felt her pain, the slow aching movements of an elderly woman, but yet it is a woman that is not as old as she feels. She aches and groans because of what we do to her. We are aging her quicker than we should be."

Her face contorted into an angry expression as her voice rose with tones of anger. "I felt her anger at how they mistreat her, and how little they do to try and prevent it, to try and help her to get better. She loathes them for ravaging her forests, her lakes, harming her creatures that can do nothing more than flee from them in terror at what they are capable of. But… she is also scared. She is scared that is not much longer for this world if they do not begin to treat her better. She is saddened that she cannot tell them how she feels, that she cannot reach out to them and show them what they are doing to her. It is beyond her power."

The room falls quiet once more as Anita voice suddenly stops and her eyes fall shut as she falls backward. She lands softly on the pillow that sits behind her and the man's green eyes are filled with sadness beyond his years as he nods and says beneath his breath, "Good job, Anita. You have communed with Gaea on a level that is hard to achieve." Looking around at the others that still sit poised, their faces relaxed and emotionless, their eyes shut, his eyes fall upon one certain person.

"Karma, tell us where your journey took you."

The next girl opens her eyes and her face immediately takes on one of confusion, and the man's attention is caught almost immediately. He tilts his head slightly as she seems to hesitate to speak, and his gray and silver shot hair shines beneath the dim lights. "I saw the destruction of something that threatened her very existence and every living thing on this planet at one time. The crater that mars her surface looks like a bleeding wound, but to her it is a scary from a victory for those who fight to save mankind, the animals, and the very life of the planet – even if they do not know it. I saw the faces of those who were lost and those that are remembered. I saw something that made me feel great confusion, and her to feel great happiness."

Her voice trails off but she does not seem to be done as she struggles to find the words to continue. The man has stood at this point, moving to pace along the outside of the circle of people as he waits for her to say something more. After a moment of her still being lost, he prompts her with, "What did you see that made you feel so confused, Karma? What was it?"

Karma's voice trembles as she says, "It was a sign. A simple sign with words written on it with red ink, and just a tad of black underneath one of the letters. It just said, 'I remember,' and it was placed by someone who brings her such comfort, such happiness, such peace. I do not know who this person is and it confuses me as to how someone who she will not identify can bring her such powerful emotions." Tears stream down Karma's voice as she says this. "She asks for someone to find this person, she beseeches us. She is crying out for whoever this person is and begging for him to save her. She says that he can only be found by the one who caused the crater, by the one directly responsible for it!"

The final ringing tones of her voice seem to echo in the room as she collapses to the ground, her breathing heavy and labored as if she has been running for too long. Her auburn tresses spill out across the pillow as the man kneels down beside her, reaching out to stroke her hair as he whispers, "You have done well, Karma. Do not be confused. We will answer her call for help." Letting his fingers drift through her locks once more, he pulls his hand back and stands up. He looks around at the people for a few moments before clapping his hands twice.

All of those that are still sitting open their eyes and glance around the room in confusion, their gazes coming to rest on the man as he takes his glasses off and cleans them with the white handkerchief he keeps in one of his pants pockets. "I apologize, but something has happened that must be addressed immediately. We will reconvene tomorrow at the same time and continue this practice. All of you will attend other than Anita and Karma who were able to speak of their journeys. I shall see you then."

Without waiting for good byes or questions, he turns on his heel and walks from the room. As he enters the hallway, he turns to the right and enters a room that is two doors down on the left. It is a small office, with nothing more than a bookshelf jammed full of books and a desk. The man reaches for the phone and quickly dials in a number. It rings twice before it is answered, and without allowing the other person to speak, he says, "Something has been found that should not be there at the place that is no longer there," before hanging up the phone and reaching up to rub one of his temples.


	2. Chapter One

**A/N: **Hey, once again! Thanks for the follows and the review! This is the next section of the story, and I'm happy to say that unposted wise, I'm up to 22k words and close to 40 pages - maybe over, I can't remember. So there's definitely plenty more to come! Hope you enjoy this chapter. It's a little insight into what will be one of the main characters. Enjoy!

**None of this material other than the storyline belongs to me. **

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**Chapter One**

**Sunnydale, California**

It had been close to six months since the last time Buffy Summers had stood at the edge of the crater that had once been known as Sunnydale. The dusty green sign bearing its name still hung, but it had changed in the half year that had passed. Graffiti stained it, crosses and images of loved ones who had been lost were scattered around its base, and the most prominent feature, the very thing that had dragged her there, the sign that read in great big letters, "I remember."

She stood at the edge of the crater with her arms wrapped around her stomach, staring down into it as the memories of everything that had happened over the course of seven years flooded through her. How had so much happened since she had first moved to Sunnydale? It was a perpetual question that she had no answer to other than… she had lived on top of the Hellmouth for a good portion of her life. How had so little happened in the scheme of things when so much more could have?

Many of her friends had assumed that Buffy's life had become easier after the tragic event of 2003, but in all reality… it had only become harder.

Slaying had been the only thing she had known how to do for the longest time, the only thing that she had that was a constant in her life. Since awakening the Potentials, since granting Slayer strength to any girl who bore the potential of becoming one, there was really no need for Buffy.

Yes, she was the Slayer, the original Slayer of it all, but there were so many others. For the past five months, she had laid low, traveled, and ventured into countries and places that she thought she would never see. But yet, she had gone. She had seen them. All because of one thing – well person, really…

Spike.

A sigh escaped her as she hugged herself tighter, and closed her eyes, remembering the last time she had seen him. _"I love you_." It had been the first time she had ever been able to bring herself to say the words to him, the first and only time she had ever meant them, and yet…

"_No, you don't, but thanks for saying it." _

How had he not been able to see it? Or maybe he was able to see it and he knew it wasn't true. Maybe Buffy was simply fooling herself into thinking that she had meant it given the gravity of the situation. Who else wouldn't have meant those words during that dire time when the man she had finally allowed to creep into her heart was about to die to save everything?

A slight wind had begun to blow, lifting the soft golden curls from her shoulders, their color striking against the white of her shirt. She reached up and pushed the curls away, the silver rings on her fingers glinting in the sunlight as she did so. Letting her arms fall away from around her, she wiped sweaty palms on her dark blue jeans as she looked away for the first time since she had arrived.

"Are you okay?"

The sound of the voice shattered through the silence that had surrounded Buffy in a bubble, and she started in surprise, looking over her shoulder as she wiped away a single tear that had begun to fall. Standing about ten feet away from her, with his arms crossed and his foot tapping an irregular beat stood Andrew. His blond highlighted hair was close cropped, and he was wearing one of his traditional nerdy shirts. He stood rather awkwardly, his facial expression a mixture of bored and worry for his companion, but the expression melted away into a small smile as Buffy nodded.

"Okay, good. I was worried you were going to start crying, and that would have been awkward, because… I don't know, it just… It would have been. I'm not good with that kind of thing." He clamped his mouth shut as he realized he was babbling. Pointing back towards the car, he mumbled, "I'll just go… wait in the car." Without another word and a simple shake of his head, he turned and hurried back towards the vehicle that sat ten yards away. Buffy didn't say anything as she turned back towards the crater, gazing at it once more.

It was time to do what she had come here for.

Blowing out a sigh, she wiped her hands once more before standing up straight, and approaching the sign that had brought her here in the first place. It was only a few steps away, really. As she took the final step, she sank to her knees in front of the man-made memorial and the sign. Her eyes scanned over the words, the pictures, the notes and mementos, taking in everything but not quite understanding what she was supposed to be looking for.

The pictures that were scattered about were simply faces of loved ones who had not evacuated from the town, who had been lost in the devastation that had followed in the wake of the stopping of the apocalypse. One of them was a familiar face to her, far too familiar. The golden brown curls of the girl framed her heart shaped face, her eyes smiling up at her as Anya stared back at her in a frozen moment of happiness. A pang arched through her heart as she thought of Xander. She hadn't spoken to him in five months, or Willow.

None of them.

A month after the destruction of Sunndayle, Buffy had decided it would be best if she just disappeared and so she had, simply leaving a note for them and dragging Andrew with her as she left in the middle of the night. Where they had relocated to, Buffy didn't know. The only one she still had contact with was Angel, and he kept her apprised of where everyone had gone. But it had been weeks since the last time she had spoken with him. Obviously things were busy with him.

A small gasping sob passed her lips, but Buffy shook her head and willed the tears away. She had to focus right now.

Someone had contacted her for a reason, had drawn her attention to this particular spot and she had to find out why. The lettering was normal enough, hand written in what looked to be a permanent red marker, and there didn't seem to be a signature. What was supposed to be so special about this sign? The "I remember" could mean a number of things. They remembered the destruction, the weirdness of the city, the people who had been there, the memories they had created there.

But yet, something told her that this wasn't the case at all.

_I need to look deeper._ So there she sat, continuing to stare at the blinding white of the sign and the starkly contrasting color of the letters. Minutes slid by as the image began to swirl together into a mixture of red, white, and black.

Wait, black?

Without even thinking, she grabbed the sign, pulling it off of the post it had been glued to and holding it up to eye level. Her eyes scanned over the inches of it, looking for the black that should not have been there until finally, there it was. Right underneath the letters, barely legible but still there, a date.

November 13th, 2007.

Her thoughts tripped over themselves as she tried to comprehend what she had just read. She reread it again, three times, four times. No, that date was clearly printed. But why in the world would someone write that? It was only 2003. She tried to think of some logical reasoning but came up with nothing. Willow was the one who would have been able to piece together a semi reasonable excuse, not Buffy. She never had been good at that kind of thing, and the skill had improved none over the years. Her heart ached for Willow right then, and not just because of her logical thinking, but because she _missed _her best friend.

Yet, her best friend could never understand how much harder life had become Buffy. She had gotten so used to being alone for so long and now she wasn't. How was she supposed to cope with that? Giles would tell her that it would come with time, but Buffy didn't have time. She didn't have the will to sit around idle until she finally got used to the idea of not being alone any longer. The idea had seemed so wonderful after the apocalypse until she realized how out of place she was, until it finally seeped in how much she didn't fit.

A mental wall came down on the thoughts before they could progress any further. All she had was Andrew right now, she and him. She had to get used to the idea of that. Most of the time, she was okay with the thought, but it was in times like this that she ached for the minds of her actual friends. Her Scooby Gang.

But she was on her own for this one.

So the date was wrong and obviously the person was crazy. That had to be the explanation for it. Maybe it was one of Glory's left over mental trauma victims who had been too far gone to be saved when she had been killed. Yet the idea seemed wrong, it tasted just _wrong_ to her mental mouth.

Without even thinking, she flipped the sign over and she froze as she took in what was on the back. A simple name, two words – two words that made no sense.

_The Doctor._

What did that even mean? There were plenty of doctors! So how could someone just be _the_ Doctor? As she read it again, though, she realized why this particular "doctor" had to be special. It wasn't just a listing of a profession, it was a name.

Whoever this person was, this was their name. More questions began to stream through the roads of her mind, and there were no answers to any of them. What this could mean, she had no idea. Another sigh escaped her as she realized that she had come up empty handed. She had found what she was looking for but all it had done was lead her to another mystery that she would hunt the answers to. There was obviously more to this than she had thought there would be.

Folding the sign in half, she began to stand up when a sudden noise made her pause. It was such a tiny, inconceivable noise, but yet she had heard it, but yet it caused her to halt for just a moment. A small, teeny, tiny moment, and in the moment, she looked toward the post the signed had been taped to and her eyes focused in on the object that she couldn't believe she had missed to begin with.

Reaching out, she grabbed it and wrapped her fingers around it. She glanced around her, hoping maybe to see some sign that would give her an answer, but yet there was nothing more than sand, dust, and the crater. Nothing had changed around her. There was still no one else there except for Andrew in the car, honking the horn impatiently.

Buffy pushed her hair behind her ear as she stood up fully, and took one last look over the crater that had once been her home and her hell for seven years. A moment passed, and then she turned and began to walk away.

This would be the last time she ever came here. She didn't know how she knew, but she did. She would never lay eyes on what had been Sunnydale ever again. It didn't leave her full of sorrow like she thought it would though. She was filled with an acceptance, an understanding. She had finally said her good byes to everything that had been her life at one point.

Within minutes, she had reached the car and in one fluid motion, she slid into the car and tucked the sign into the backseat. Andrew glanced at the sign and then at Buffy in confusion, asking, "What's that?" but Buffy didn't answer him.

Instead she opened up her hand and looked down at the tiny blue police box that had been taped to the sign post. On top of it was a small blue light that was blinking and the soft sighing wooshing noise was coming from it. Her fingers stumbled slightly as she popped open the door of it, and inside she found a glowing key – an old crafted key like she had seen hanging on Giles' keychain – and wrapped around it was a piece of paper. As she pulled the contents of the box out, the door snapped shut behind her fingers and another wheezing sigh escaped it before it went silent and dead in her hand.

Taking the paper from the key, she stared at the key for a moment, wondering how it could be so warm to the touch and why it was glowing before tucking it away into her pocket. Andrew's voice became a blur in the background as she unfolded the paper fully and stared at the loopy, cursive hand writing on it, taking it in before it faded away. Moment slid by as she stared at it, rereading the message over and over again as Andrew looked on confused, wondering why she was just staring at a blank piece of paper.

Minutes slipped away as she continued to stare before a new message scrawled itself across the paper, but the paper remained blank to Andrew's eyes. But yet… Buffy seemed to find something in the whiteness of the paper as she said two simple words.

"Los Angeles."


	3. Chapter Two

**A/N:** I know I had said it would be a few days before this next part got posted, but this is what happens when I have sleepless nights. I go to Waffle House to write, and as I write a new section, I'm posting another one. I figure this way I can stay far ahead enough of the game to keep you guys updated and interested!

And yeah, I know, when's the Doctor going to show up? But trust me, he will sooner or later.

Also, to answer some questions I've gotten, Rose will be making an appearance. Can't have the 9th Doctor without Rose, now can we?

Either way, hope you enjoy! Thanks for the reviews and the follows. I hope you all got my personal thank you PMs and such.

**None of this material belongs to me other than the storyline that did not happen in the shows. **

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**Chapter Two**

**Los Angeles, California**

"So you think I'm cute? Like a fluffy, cutesy bunny kind of cute?" The clearly feminine voice seemed to echo off the walls as Willow Rosenberg gave a small grin to the female that sat across from her. Willow had her fingers laced with the golden skinned girl and their arms were stretched across a tabletop littered with books that seemed aged. At some point or another, it appeared as if they had been studying the tomes, perhaps searching for some information but that time had clearly passed as they shared an intimate smile.

Pushing back long strands of brownish black hair, a full smile blossomed on the full girl's lips as she pulled Willow's hand closer to her to plant a kiss on the back of it. "Yes, Willow, you're cute like a fluffy, cutesy bunny." Her lilting voice echoed back at them as Willow let out a small laugh before squeezing her hand.

Ducking her head slightly, a blush forms on Willow's cheeks as her smile formed into a full grin and the corners of her eyes crinkled with small bird shaped lines. "So I'm your cute, ginger bunny! Not a rabbit, 'cause they're not as cute, but a bunny, 'cause they are cute and stuff." The girls shared a laugh as Willow continued, "So, from now on, my title will be Kennedy's cute ginger bunny." Another laugh echoed off the walls of the library they sat in as Willow leaned across the table to rub her nose against Kennedy's.

"Now, ladies, how many times have we had to tell you that if you're going to get dirty in the library to at least put a sign on the door that says, 'Lesbians at work?' We need to have these kinds of warnings." The moment that Kennedy and Willow had been sharing was shattered as they both started in surprise and turned towards the sound of the voice. Standing just a few yards away on the lower level of the library was Xander Harris, his black curls falling haphazardly around his face. There was a smile on his face as the girls released hands and stood up fully, and his cocoa brown eye held a joking twinkle in them as he began to walk towards the steps that led up to the dais the girls were on.

Kennedy tilted her head to the side as she let a small smirk creep onto her face. "Xander, how many times have I told you that would ruin your dream of catching lesbians in the act?" A chuckle escaped Xander as he reached the girls and hugged Kennedy briefly before turning towards a grinning Willow. Kennedy watched as the two enveloped each other in a full body hug for much longer than Kennedy and Xander had hugged.

"How have you been? God, it's so good to see you." Willow's voice was slightly breathy as she pulled back slightly to look at Xander full on in the face. Her eyes scanned his face to make sure that everything was the same, the same far too old looking eye, the eye patch, the goofy grin that transformed his face into that of a teenage mischief maker. "I've missed you."

"We've missed you," Kennedy chimed in as she patted Xander on the back. "So how was Rome?" She moved to the end of the table and leaned back against it as she asked the question.

Xander pulled fully back from Willow and laced his hands behind his head as he blew out a gust of air. "Rome… I've been good, to answer the first question. Rome was not so good to answer the last question. Remind me again why I volunteered to hunt down an ancient line of Amazon like women who could tear me in two if they so wanted to?" The smile lessened just a notch as he sent a questioning gaze to both of the girls before he took over Willow's previous seat.

Willow wince slightly as she perched on the table beside Xander and Kennedy wrapped her arms around Willow from behind, her fingers pitter pattering a beat on Willow's stomach. She laid a hand over one of Kennedy's hands as her face softened from the wince into one of gentle happiness. Her shoulders relaxed noticeably at the other girl's touch, leaning back into Kennedy naturally. "Was it really that bad?"

A look of incredulousness formed on Xander's face as he ran a hand through his messy hair. "Bad? Does that describe the horrible beginning, even worse middle, or terrible and slightly terrifying ending?" He dropped his gaze to the table as he folded his hands in front of him, and continued, "Bad is the understatement of the year. None of it was good, in any way, whatsoever. Not even the women." The small joke fell flat as Willow bit her lip and Kennedy gave a sigh. Bad news was always worse than no news for the Scooby Gang it seemed.

"So how was it horrible, worse, terrible, and slightly terrifying?" Willow's voice held a false chipper note as she gave an uneasy smile to Xander. The way her forehead crinkled as she smiled showed the stress and strain that had taken place on her.

"Well…" And Xander launched into the story of what happened, starting from the beginning. He had been sent to Rome to hunt down a report of a girl with super human strength, but one who was able to walk in daylight so they knew it wasn't a vampire. When Xander had arrived, he had been directed by Giles to find a hotel that was close to the girl's supposed residence but not to go there. He was instead to maintain a low profile for the time being and keep an eye out for any suspicious activity from any female individual. Normally this would have been easy as in the past, most of the girls who could have been Slayers had been teenagers, usually ranging in age from fourteen to sixteen, but now it was harder. It could be any female who had ever held the potential to be a Slayer. That was the way it had been for the past six months since Willow had succeeded at performing the Slayer ritual.

For the first few days, he had done exactly what Giles had told him to do; he had kept a low profile as a tourist exploring the many sights of Rome but had also kept his eye out for any girl who matched the loose description he had been given. It was on the fourth day he found her, and he knew he had found her as there was no doubt about it.

After all, any girl fleeing in terror from the Bringers had to be a Slayer.

Although many of the Bringers had been defeated when Buffy had raided the vineyard that Caleb had been using as his housing, some of them had escaped. Even the defeat of the First had not stopped them from pursuing what they were destined to do: Kill Slayers or anyone who could be a Slayer.

The fourth day Xander had been visiting the Trevi Fountain when a sudden commotion had caused the crowd to clear a path. His senses had immediately gone on the alert as he watched a young teenage girl with long, curly blonde hair go tearing through the crowd at a speed that rivaled Buffy's. He had known immediately that she had to have been the Slayer he was sent there to find. But right behind her had been three men in long black robes, and as one of their hoods had fallen back, the mutilated eyes had shown Xander exactly what he needed to see.

Without a second thought, he had taken off after them. He had been led on a wild chase as the girl continued to run, not stopping or hesitating. If someone got in her way she would dash around them, if a cart got in her way she would jump over it. It didn't matter what it was, she would vault it, avoid it, or go under it and continue on. By the time they actually came to a stop, Xander had felt as if he would keel over and die right on the spot, mission unaccomplished. But instead of that, he was forced into a fight for his life as the Bringers cornered the Slayer and she began a full out assault on them.

Although he had been trying to help, the Slayer had mistaken him for one of them and Xander had been given the beating of his life in thanks for it. It wasn't until Xander cried out for mercy and pleaded with her to stop, that he was there to help that she finally did. It had been with wary reluctance and with the broken handle of a broom that she had listened to what he had to say.

It had only gotten worse from there.

The girl had told him that he was crazy, that there was no way that any of what he had to say was true, and that she didn't have any interest in the tales of the delusional and drug addicted. Xander had tried to warn her, had tried to reason with her, but she had refused. After disappearing into the crowds, Xander had been forced to admit defeat and return to the hotel to recuperate and form a new plan of action. Giles had told him to try and continue to convince the girl. Day after day, Xander tried to reason with her, but she still wouldn't listen, going so far as to threaten to call the authorities on him if he continued to harass her.

At that point, Xander gave up. He was not about to be arrested just to recruit a Slayer. He had too much on the line back home, and the Scooby Gang needed him. So he called Giles to update him of the situation and Giles had reluctantly agreed that it would be best if he returned to the States. But it was when Xander was on his way to the airport that the trip got even worse, and terrifying.

As he was on his way to the airport, he took a short cut down an alley way and was looking at his map to make sure he was going the right way when he tripped and fell onto the ground. Pushing himself up and beginning to dust himself off, he looked behind him to discover what had tripped him was the body of the very Slayer he had been sent there to recruit. Thinking the Bringers had gotten to her, it wasn't until he noticed the double puncture wounds on the side of her neck that he realized it had actually been a vampire and in the shadowed alleyway, as Xander touched the wounds, he also discovered that the bite wounds were fresh.

That was when it had gotten terrifying.

The alleyway was shaded enough that the vampire was still there. It attacked without hesitation against Xander and he had been reminded of the incredibly powerful trio of vampires that the Scooby Gang had fought against in high school. The attack happened quickly and was over just as quickly as Xander had been about to lose his life when suddenly, the vampire was gone. In one second, it was there and then the next it wasn't. He didn't know how to explain it because there was no dust. Instead of sticking around to try and find out the reason though, he high tailed it to the airport.

"Mission failed, but at least I still have my life and my good eye." A weary smile formed on his face as Willow and Kennedy exchanged frowns, having moved to where they were hovering over him instead of sitting comfortably. Willow's arms were crossed and she was nibbling on her nails in worry as Kennedy began to pace, a nervous gesture she had picked up over the past few months.

"So, the Slayer was dead and the vampire that did her in just up and vamoosed into thin air? How does that work?" Kennedy's brow was furrowed in frustration as she tried to put together the pieces and a frown was on Willow's face as she puzzled over it as well.

"Well, that's the thing. I don't know." Xander blew out another sigh as he leaned his elbows on the table and cupped his hands together in front of his face.

"There has to be some explanation for it. Maybe he turned into a bat like Dracula could! Some older vampires are able to do that." Willow's voice was chipper with enthusiasm but the look that Xander and Kennedy both gave her quickly killed that as her shoulders fell and she asked, "Well, did you notice anything around you? Like something extra spooky?"

Xander's eyebrows knitted together and a small frown pulled at his lips as he thought. There had been _something._ "Well there was this white flashy light and it seemed like some gold dust in the air." He looked up at them with a pleading look as he said, "And please, don't think I'm insane. Because I am, just not in the hallucination I need to see a therapist kind of way."

As Willow's lips parted as if she were about to say something, Kennedy's mouth fell open in surprise, killing whatever Willow had been about to say. She didn't turn around as Xander's gaze shifted to stare past her at something and she had no need to as a sudden voice interrupted their reasoning session.

"It almost sounds like you're telling a spooky fairy tale with a horrible ending, Xander. Shouldn't it end with, 'and they all lived happily ever after?'" Standing at the entrance to the library that was almost a replica to the Sunnydale High School pre explosion was Buffy with Andrew hovering like a fluttery fairy behind her.


	4. Chapter Three

**A/N: **Okay, so this chapter is a bit longer than the other ones - okay maybe a lot longer. But there's a point to it! I'm doing this so that way I can start getting to the good stuff because... -drum roll-

The Doctor shows up next chapter.

So get ready, because we're about to launch into the fun times!

**None of the characters in this story belong to me other than the storyline. **

* * *

**Chapter Three**

**Los Angeles Airport, California**

The noise of his own feet slapping against tile, the skittering of his suitcase as it wheeled along haphazardly behind him, and the wheezing breaths that he was taking filled his ears as Rupert Giles jogged along the tiled hallways of the Los Angeles Airport. He had just gotten off his direct flight from London to Los Angeles, and although it had taken him a few minutes to get the feeling back in his legs, he was now in a hurry to get to where he was going. It had already been a day since he had gotten the news, and he had cursed himself for having been gone to England when she had shown up. Customs had seemed to take far longer than it normally did, and thankfully the Americans weren't too worried about doing security checks for people who passed Customs. But, it felt like this airport was much larger than the previous times he had been there.

It was well after sunset when his flight had finally landed, and although he had left London at 7 PM their time, he had just now arrived in Los Angeles shortly after 11 PM. It was amazing how what had been an overnight flight only resulted in a four hour time difference from when he had stepped foot on the plane. In England, it would have been morning time, somewhere close to 7 AM. At least this meant that they might still be awake when he arrived at the Institute.

The last row of checkpoints came into sight and Giles smiled wearily, slowing his pace slightly. Within the next half hour he would be seeing her for himself, and he'd finally have some answers as to the cryptic phone call that had delivered the news. If only his mind would stop asking questions that he currently had no answers to, things would be much brighter than they were. But yet, it would not silence itself, because he knew that her having finally made an appearance meant something had transpired.

Something that might not necessarily be pleasant, but then again, when had anything regarding Buffy been considered pleasant in the retrospect of matters?

That was what plagued his mind and had bothered him the entire flight. Why would she show up now, of all times? Was there a chance she had heard the news of what they were doing? There was a possibility. It was not something that they were attempting to keep secret from the Underworld, and news travelled fast in the Underworld. If Buffy was any kind of Slayer still, she would have kept her contacts and allowed them a way of contacting her in case something happened that would have piqued her interest.

His footsteps slowed further as he considered that. She could simply have decided to come back after such a long absence because she had finally fixed whatever was wrong with her. It could be that she was interested in helping with what they were doing. After all, Buffy had always been the kind to take a proactive stance in group doings, making sure that she always helped and benefited the project in whatever way she could. Many a time she had done that simply by doing her duty as the Slayer, but perhaps this time it was different. Perhaps this time, she honestly wanted to help and not because she felt obligated to.

The thought pattern was cut off as the familiar beep of his clearance through the checkpoint reached his ears and as Giles stepped through the two scanners, he pushed his glasses up onto his nose and looked towards the rows of double glass doors that led to the pull around for taxis. In front of the set almost directly in front of him stood someone that caused him to stop in his tracks.

Angel was standing there, obviously waiting for him. With his hands shoved into the pockets of the black trench coat that he had worn for the entirety of the time that Giles had known him and his hair still a deep black and a natural spike to it, he did not look much different than the last time Giles had seen him shortly before leaving Los Angeles. He gave a slight nod, barely enough of a nod for Giles to recognize it as one as Giles approached him. "Giles, how was the flight?"

The older looking man sighed as he let go of his suitcase after setting up upright and reached up to take his glasses off and clean them on the cotton shirt he wore. "Long, tiring, but it was all right, I suppose. The music selection was quite bland, to be honest, though." Angel's mouth split into a grin at the comment. Giles was still Giles, after all this time. Even if he did seem a bit weathered after all they had been through, he was still the same staunch, wise man that he had always been. "Have you seen her yet?"

And always straight to the point – most of the time.

Angel shook his head as he turned and pushed open one of the double doors, holding it open for Giles to pass by him. "Not yet. It's been daylight, so no real way of me getting there from where I stay at." Another sigh came from Giles as he nodded his head as Angel followed after him.

"Does this mean you are my ride then?" Angel gave a nod as they began to walk down the curving driveway that served as pick up for people leaving the airport. "Good. I didn't fancy finding a taxi to take me to the Institute."

A chuckle came from Angel as he stretched his arms out and said half heartedly joking, "Your own personal chauffeur at your service." They both shared a strained laugh as they continued down the walkway. "Has anyone told you anything?"

Giles shook his head and answered, "No, they only gave me a rather cryptic message. Did they give you much the same thing?" A nod was the only answer Giles got as they came upon a black Mustang that Angel stopped at. Angel moved around towards the driver's side door and Giles shot him a look as he asked, "Is this our ride then?"

He flashed a smile at Giles as he said, "I hope she isn't too much for you, Giles. Wouldn't want to upset your stuffy librarian persona after all." Glancing at the vampire from the corner of his eyes, Giles opened the passenger door and tucked his suitcase into the backseat before sliding into the car. As Angel climbed in on the driver's side and shut his door, Giles responded with a quip that made Angel laugh uproariously.

"Perhaps only if she can outdrive my gallant red lady."

**Los Angeles, California**

"Come on, Buffster, you can give us a little bit of the down low before Mr. Broody and Giles get here." Xander's voice echoed throughout the room as he lounged back in his chair. Although he gave the impression that he was relaxed, his leg was bouncing up in down in jittery off beat showing the anticipation and anxiety he felt at whatever news Buffy had to share with them. Willow patted his shoulder reassuringly as Buffy shot him a stare from the corner of her eyes before continuing her slow, rhythmic pacing across the bottom tier of the library.

"No can do, Xander. I want everyone here before I share and start asking questions." She was gazing at the ground as she said it, her eyes focused on the next step her feet would take rather than anything else going on around her. That was the way she had been since they had gathered there two hours ago waiting on Angel and Giles to show up. Buffy had remained mostly quiet, which was unusual for Buffy to do. She was usually the one who was constantly chattering about something, whether it was sharing information, asking questions, pepping the team, or whatever. She almost always had some words to say.

Although after her second death and being brought back she had become quieter, since the destruction of Sunnydale, she hadn't been quiet. Willow, Xander and Kennedy remembered her as being chipper and talkative, constantly having something to say or chip in. The red head and Latino had tried to ask her questions, but they only got one word responses and after several attempts and failures, they had gone back to doing what they were supposed to be doing – studying.

Silence descended on the library once more and Xander continued to bounce his leg up and down. Buffy's footsteps and the squeaking of his sneakers against the linoleum were the only sounds that could be heard. Occasionally there was the shared whisper between Willow and Kennedy but it was usually only about something one of them had come across in their books. Buffy continued to pace, Xander continued to stew, and Willow and Kennedy continued to distractedly study.

It wasn't until the door opened that any of them made a single noise.

As the door slammed open, Buffy jumped, Xander squawked, and Kennedy let out a small shriek as Willow gasped in surprise. All heads turned sharply to stare at the door, expecting to see Giles and Angel but instead they were met with a different surprise as a flurry of brown and blonde streaked hair went rushing towards Buffy at top speed.

Dawn Summers threw herself at Buffy in a grapple as she tackled her older sister to the ground, hugging her as tightly as she could. "You're here, you're actually _here._" The words were said with such awe and happiness that Buffy was shocked at them. All she could do was hug her little sister back from where they lay in a heap on the ground. "I can't believe it. You're back."

At some point during the hugging, Xander, Willow, and Kennedy had all stood up. Willow tucked a strand of hair behind her ear she crossed her arms over her chest and Kennedy wrapped her arms around her stomach as she watched the two girls. Xander ran a hand through his hair, throwing a side long look at Willow and Kennedy before shoving his hands into his pockets. The entire scene made it seem as if Dawn wasn't supposed to be there, especially given the look of surprise on Buffy's face.

It was obvious to everyone that Dawn was _not _supposed to be there.

Whatever reason, it didn't matter. Buffy had no idea how to handle her little sister as she gave her a squeeze before pushing Dawn up slightly so she could slide back and stand up. She offered a hand to the brunette, who took it gladly. As soon as Dawn was back on her feet, she gave Buffy another hug and whispered, "I'm so happy to see you. I'm so happy you're back." The hug lasted only a few moments before Buffy was pulling away again and taking a step back. The smile that had been on Dawn's full lips began to fade as the blonde wrapped her arms around her stomach and gave only a small smile in return to the words.

"It's good to see you, Dawnie." The use of the nickname put Dawn's senses on high alert as Buffy looked away from her at Xander, Willow, and Kennedy briefly. "But… I'm not here to stay." The words had not been what Dawn was expecting as she took a step back and sank into the chair that was nearest available. "I'm sorry, but I'm only here for… information." Buffy knew the words were weak and sounded pathetic even as they came out of her mouth, and she almost winced as Dawn pressed her lips together into a thin line and nodded slowly.

Dawn didn't respond right away and Xander, Willow, and Kennedy could feel the tension as it rose. It was one of those tensions that was palpable and it made them all shift nervously in their own little ways as they tried not to act as if they could feel it. "I should have known." The words were barely audible as Dawn whispered them, her blue eyes taking on a slight green to them as she stared at her sister. "You never actually come back; you're always on the job – even when there are hundreds of other Slayers now." Buffy was waiting for the line she was used to, the accusation that Dawn was never important enough to her but as she waited, her teeth gritted, it never came. Her little sister sighed and tucked long brunette strands behind her ear, looking at the ground the entire time, but she never said the dreaded words that always stuck a knife in Buffy's heart and twisted it.

"Dawn… something happened. I had to investigate it, and now… I need answers." She held her hands out at her side as she shrugged her shoulders. "But you know I can't stay here. I… I don't belong here." As she said the words, they stung with the honesty behind them and Buffy's gaze pleaded with each of them to understand. It was something that all of them had known was true, even when Buffy had taken off in the middle of the night, but it didn't make it any easier to hear them.

Kennedy hugged Willow as the red head wrapped her arms around her stomach and Xander looked at the ground, scuffing the tip of his shoe against the floor. None of them said anything as Dawn nodded and looked up at Buffy's pleading look. "I know. We all know. It just… it doesn't make it any easier when we don't hear from you." Buffy's eyes widened slightly as she met Dawn's steady gaze. She was used to the temper tantrums, not the maturity that Dawn was displaying at the younger girl crossed her arms and continued to stay strong in her gaze.

"So you knew."

"Buffy… we've known you how long now? Of course we knew." It was the first time Willow had spoken in what felt like hours and her voice wavered slightly as she said the words. Buffy glanced back at her before nodding and turning back to Dawn. "It's just… When you came back, when you just showed up, we thought maybe you were back this time, permie back." The red head's eyebrows shot up with emphasis on the last two words.

"I… I know. But, it's just…" Buffy was at a loss for words as she sank down into a chair opposite from Dawn and held her hands against her forehead before letting them slide down her face to cover her mouth. After a moment of not speaking, she shook her head and abruptly changed the subject with the question, "How have you been doing?"

Dawn continued to look steadily at her sister as she thought over her response before saying it. "I've been good, actually. I have a job, I'm going to school. College school, not high school." Buffy arched her eyebrows as she nodded her head and Dawn continued, "I've also been studying. A lot. Giles recruited me." As Dawn said the words, Buffy's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as Xander, Willow, and Kennedy each made a facial expression of regret at the words that Dawn had just said.

"Recruited you?"

Buffy's voice rose a little on the words, pitching higher than it normally would as the sound of confusion ran over Dawn. Her little sister's mouth formed a perfect O as she realized that Buffy still didn't know. "Oh, you haven't heard… Uhhh, Willow, I'll leave this to you." For the first time, Dawn looked away from her sister and off to the side, shifting in her chair uncomfortably. As soon as Dawn had said the words, Buffy turned on the three standing behind her, her hair flying out in a perfect curtain behind her before coming to rest on her shoulders lightly.

"What does she mean by recruited?" Buffy's voice and gaze was steely as she asked the question again. Her posture read hostile as she crossed her arms over her chest and jutted out one of her hips. It was a go to pose for Buffy whenever she was surprised by something that she did not approve of right off the bat even if she had no idea what it entailed. "Willow, answer me. What does she mean?" Her words were pointed and tipped with venom as she said them. The poisonous quality to Buffy's voice caused Willow wince mentally as she wrung her hands for a brief moment.

"Well, after you left, we, we had a lot of Slayers coming to the Institute. Too many for Giles to train by himself, you know, cause he's the only Watcher." Willow's voice trailed off as she glanced at Kennedy and Xander, each in turn, for some sort of support.

Xander ran another hand through his hair before beginning to make gestures while he spoke. "Yeah, so Giles called us all together and asked us for help, for suggestions, and… the best we could come up with is… Watchers." He almost choked on the last word as Buffy's mouth parted in surprise and he swallowed the lump that had begun to rise in his throat as she looked from both Willow to him and back again.

"So, when we decided to reform the Watcher's Council, we started looking for people who would fit the position. Obviously, none of the Slayers could take them, so we looked at our group first – you know, the ones who weren't Slayers." Kennedy's voice was strong as she stepped forward and took Willow's hand in hers, staring down at Buffy with obvious wariness but resolve as well.

Buffy was still for few long moments, before she nodded and began to pace, glancing at the trio and then at Dawn as her mind puzzled over what they had just said. Within moments she had put two and two together and she rounded on Dawn, her question sharp as she asked, "And you're going to be one of the Watchers?" Once again, Dawn surprised Buffy as she met her gaze and held it while she nodded. Silence came down upon the library once more and Buffy continued her pacing.

Seconds stretched into minutes as they waited for the explosion to come. After fifteen minutes time had passed, it finally came. Buffy threw her arms out wide as she rounded on Dawn and yelled, "What in the world made you decide to do that!? Do you know how dangerous that position is?" Dawn didn't even bother to try and look chastised as she stood up so quickly that the chair she had been sitting in flipped backwards onto the ground. "Dawn, you can't just go making rash decisions like this. You remember how many times Giles almost got killed because he was my Watcher. Do you think the bond you share with whoever you end up being a Watcher for is going to be any different? What if you end up getting kil-"

"You mean like you did? I know the risks. I've seen them happen first hand. Don't forget, I went through your second death for months before you came back." Her words were quiet and Buffy would have missed them if Dawn hadn't cut her off. Although the younger girl stood with her fists clenched at her side and her eyes were volatile with emotions, she held firm in her stare with her older sister. "I know the risks, and I'm okay with them. Just because the First is gone doesn't mean that everything is okay. There's still danger from demons and vampires, and they're still trying, Buffy. These girls need Watchers and I fit the job requirements." She shrugged her shoulders after the statement before adding, "And… it's something that I really want to do."

"It's not like she's the only one, Buff." Willow's voice broke on her words as she spoke up for Dawn, supporting her and shaking slightly under Buffy's dagger like stare as the blonde turned back around to face her. "I'm going to be a Watcher as well. I was one of the first to be approached about it, and then Dawn. We know the risks, they've gone over them with us, and… we have more experience than any other Watcher has before. Other than Giles." She waved her hand in the air at her dismissal of Giles. "But, we've been in danger for years now. We were best friends with the Slayer, and Dawn… Dawn was related to you. How many times was she targeted because she was your sis?"

Buffy was at a loss for any counter argument as Kennedy and Xander nodded in agreement. She didn't even bother to come up with one as she turned on Xander next, almost sneering at him as she said, "And you? What's your entire purpose in this? I know you're not uninvolved because of your little story, Xand, so don't even try to make up an exc-"

"I recruit the Slayers, Buff. I'm a Recruiter. It's something new we had to come up with because… well, there's not just one Slayer anymore. Whenever we hear a story of a girl with super strength, we pursue it. Me and Angel." Xander ran another hand through his hair as he continued, "It's not as easy as it sounds. We have to find these girls, scope them out, find out if they're the real deal and then approach them. Sometimes, it's not easy like what you heard. The Bringers are still active even with the First's death. Vampires are trying to track down these girls and kill them even if they have formal training." Xander looked pointedly at Kennedy as he said this and the youngest girl of them all shifted her stance a little in discomfort.

At first, Kennedy didn't say anything even though they were all looking at her now because of Xander. It wasn't until Willow gave her a word of reassurance and a squeeze of her hand that she finally sighed and pulled down the half turtleneck she wore.

Clear as day on her golden skin was the telltale scar of two circular puncture marks. "I was out patrolling and a group got the jump on me. One of them managed to knock me out for like a minute and was biting on me when Xander and Willow came to the rescue. I was half dead, Buffy." Kennedy shuddered at the memory of it as she released the shirt's material and let it spring back up to hide the scar. "It happened two months ago. The vampires are becoming more active and we've had three or four Slayer deaths in the past four months. Three of them were untrained, one of them _was _trained." There was a grimace on Buffy's face as Willow slid her arm around the other Slayer's shoulders and Kennedy leaned into her, shutting her eyes at the comforting touch.

Dawn didn't give Buffy a chance to speak as she continued with the explanation. "We've found enough Slayers at this point to where we're trying to recruit Watchers for the ones who have finished training so they can be placed. The goal is to have a Slayer in every state, every country, every major city of a province, county, or state if a country has separate parts to it. The demonic activity has jumped back up to almost where it was at before the First and we need to show them that we're fighting them. That's why… That's why if someone fits the bill for Watcher and they want to, we take them. You're looking at the new Watcher's Council location."

"Welcome to the Institute, Buffy. We're glad to have you back."

None of them had heard the door open as they turned to look at Giles and Angel standing in front of it. Angel stood with his hands tucked into his pockets while Giles stood with his arms crossed and watching Buffy with a careful eye for her reaction as she looked at them. She was clearly in shock as she nodded slowly and sighed before shrugging her shoulders and giving a shaky smile. "So where do we start?" was the only question she asked.

Giles clapped his hands together and rubbed them as he began to walk forward. Angel gave his traditional smirk as he whispered, "And there's my girl."


	5. Chapter Four

**A/N: **Okay, so, it's been over a week since an update – don't be mad please. I've been really busy dealing with some in real life friend drama, and it hasn't been fun. I'm also running a Dungeons and Dragons style campaign, and it's kind of like a Harry Potter school campaign? So I've been slightly busy drawing up class schedules, lesson plans, all of that. So this kind of got pushed to the back burner. I also had to rewrite some stuff because – originally – I wasn't planning on introducing one character this soon. But here you go, the next chapter! Hope you enjoy!

**None of this material belongs to me other than the storyline.**

**Chapter Four**

**Somewhere in Space**

"No, no, no! It's not listening!" A distinctly British accent exploded in an angry sing song voice as he slammed his hand down on one of the many buttons placed across the control console's surface. With one hand on a lever and his other hand pressing down the button, a man tried to bite a pull switch's handle and struggled to do so as a piece of metal went flying right by his closely cropped brown hair. His teeth snapped at air as he fought with it for a moment, before he finally released a growlish yell of anger and right before he could use the hand that had been on the lever, a delicate female hand reached out to pull on it.

"Why is it so difficult for you to just ask, Doctor?" The female British accent held a tinge of laughter behind it as the person referred to Doctor glanced over at the blond haired female that stood next to him. She was smiling at him, her tongue sticking out and placed against the top of her teeth as she looked at him and he returned a brilliant smile to her.

His hand came slamming back down on the lever as his other hand left the button and spun about one of the spinning levers that was next to the lever he still held down. "Rose Tyler, you are fantastic!" It was the only thing he said as he continued to spin the lever around.

A sudden stillness came over the control console as the rumbling and shaking of the ship seemed to stop for a brief moment, and his head shot up as light blue eyes focused on the large glass tube that stood in the center of the wrap around control console. Inside of the glass tube were what appeared to be four small cylinders, stretching from the base of the panel to the top of the glass tube that touched the ceiling. After a few more moments of stillness, the four cylinders came to life inside, each pumping up and down in their own rhythm and filling with a bright blue energy that made the man smile. The tinkling laugh of the female rang throughout the room as she braced herself against the center console.

With a cry of, "Fantastic!" the man ran around to the other side of the console, grabbing a hammer from beneath it, and slammed the hammer down onto the console. A whooshing noise filled the control room and the female gave a whooping noise that was followed by, "Bloody brilliant!" as the man and her both dashed to the small monitor that was situated on the control panel. They crowded in next to one another, their shoulders pressed together as they stared at whatever was shown there.

Although the man's behavior may have seemed peculiar to anyone who was around – not that they were, he was only with the female – his appearance didn't show anything particularly strange about him. His brown hair was close cropped, maybe a half an inch long. Wrinkles ran along his forehead, more smile wrinkles than actual elderly wrinkles. His skin was perhaps a tad bit darker than being just plain white, perhaps it would be best described as lightly tan. His eyebrows were contoured perfectly to his upper eyelid shape, resting above a nose that was quite possibly the most distinguishing feature of his face. Rather large, it was perfectly straight except for the small hook right at the end of it. When he smiled, the curves that ended each end of his smile were so large that they very lightly touched the sides of his nose on either side. He had a strong jawline that matched the angular cheekbones. Overall, he had a rather handsome face.

His attire seemed perfectly normal as well. Wearing a nicely tailored black leather jacket over a v-neck purple T-shirt, the only other things he wore visibly were a pair of shiny black pants that could have been either leather or just a rather shiny pair of slacks. Black shows – they looked almost like sneakers – were on his feet.

All in all, he seemed like nothing more than a slightly peculiar man in his late 20s.

The woman was perhaps the opposite of him in what she was wearing, although it was still rather modern. But it was her face where she was the opposite of him. Shoulder length blonde hair fell about her face, framing its heart shape rather admirably. Her roots were a sharp contrast as they were brown, and for anyone who knew hair, it was obvious that it was a dye job. Her eyebrows were delicately arched and very well kept above a pair of almond shaped dark brown eyes. Long lashes fluttered against her high cheekbones every time she blinked, and her cheekbones led into a rather nicely curved jawline. Her nose was nothing more than a small ski slope, and it was set evenly above a pair of full lips which were her defining feature. Every time she laughed or looked at the man, her lips were curl into a teeth flashing smile, a smile that could easily be described as a pearly white gigawatt smile.

Her clothes were bright, and colorful. Over a white T-shirt that showed an image of the British flag, she wore a pink jacket halfway zipped up. The sleeves drooped slightly over her hands as well. For leg wear she had on a jean skirt paired with bright white sneakers that could have passed as the DC brand – famous for being skater shoes on the planet Earth.

"What glorious place are you taking me to now?" His voice was layered with excitement, happiness, and love as he spoke to the control console, watching the monitor with eyes that seemed too old for his appearance but eyes that also twinkled with some joyous emotion.

The girl glanced at him and nudged his shoulder as she remarked, "It had best be better than Petrov. That riot, yeah?" A laugh followed her words as they shared a smile that spoke of long shared memories.

The monitor showed an image of planets zooming past, and it was clear that the ship they were in was passing all of them by. The man slowly began to recognize what planet would soon be their destination. Although he gave a small sigh, the smiles didn't leave his face – it only grew. The woman on the other hand twisted about, and said, "I get to see mum and Micky again! Bet they'll be all excited to hear about our adventures over a cuppa. I shouldn't tell them about that trip to Salem though, should I?"

As an image of Earth filled the monitor's screen, they both stepped back and he clapped his hands together with the comment of, "That was fantastic though, wasn't it?" as the ship, once more, began to rumble and quake like a bucking bronco.

**Meanwhile in Los Angeles, California…**

"Who is the Doctor?"

The question caused Willow, Xander, and Kennedy to exchange looks of confusion while Dawn just gave Buffy a quizzical look. Giles and Angel were the only ones that kept their faces blank, simply looking at one another then back at Buffy. She stood with her arms crossed, looking in turn at each of them until her eyes came to rest on the two men that sat across from her. Her eyes narrowed as she took in their expressions, and then she began to slowly pace back and forth in front of the table. "What do you mean by _the_ Doctor? Are we talkin' a specific one in general, Buffs?" Xander had leaned forward with his elbows propped on the table while he gestured his hands in a questioning way to match the question he had just asked her.

"No, it's not an actual doctor, not a specific one. It's… more of a name." Buffy didn't give anything more than that, as that was all she had to give, as she kept her eyes trained on Angel and Giles. The gears were turning in her head. She already knew – it was obvious – that both of them had heard of the Doctor. They at least knew of his existence.

But how much did they know?

Willow tilted her head to the side as she said, "Is he or she a demon? We don't deal with many fem demons. So that'd be kinda cool to tackle." The red head's face had lit up with a small smile as she glanced at Buffy for a yes or a no, but the shake of Buffy's head quickly caused the girl's shoulders to hunch as she frowned in annoyance. It wasn't often that Willow didn't have some idea of what was going on, especially since she had begun studying the various Watcher journals and the books detailing various demons.

Dawn didn't even bother to speak up as she looked at Kennedy and the two shared a one shoulder shrug. Neither of them had any clue as to who this Doctor person could be, and the question of Doctor who? was on both of their minds.

Giles and Angel continued to remain silent as Angel cleared his throat while Giles sighed and took off his glasses to clean them with his shirt. It was only a moment later that they glanced back at the rest of the group to find that all four stares were locked on them. The others had finally picked up on the pointed glance that Buffy was throwing towards the end of the table, and had realized that with both Giles and Angels' reactions that both of them knew something that they didn't.

As Buffy finally stopped pacing, pressed her lips into a flat line, and narrowed her gaze even further, they realized that the two men probably had the answer to the very question that Buffy was seeking an answer to. They shared a look once more before Angel finally sat up all the way in his chair and gestured for Giles to begin, but Giles simply tilted his head in Angel's direction, offering him the chance to begin talking.

The two continued to silently offer the other a chance to speak first for a few more minutes before Buffy finally lost her temper and slammed both hands down on the table. It caused both of the men to jump, something hard to achieve with the vampire, and she glared at them before growling out between gritted teeth, "Just answer the damn question." Giles cleared his throat once more and opened his mouth as if he were about to speak when Angel lifted a hand and motioned for him to keep quiet.

"I'll go first, since I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who's had actual contact with the Doctor." Throwing a look at Giles, the older man sighed and shrugged his shoulders as if to say that Angel was right as the vampire stood up and turned his back on the group. He placed a hand on the banister that lined the tier above them, and he began to speak.

"It was back in the 1890s when I met him. I had just gotten my soul back, so it had to be in the later years. But there was some problem going on in London, where I was hiding out waiting for a chance to jump on a ship and head to the New World as it had been called. I was in the first throes of having my soul back. He came across me in an alley way while he was chasing some lizard like creature, and when he saw me, he stopped. Knowing the Doctor as I do now, the creature obviously wasn't of that much importance, or that much threat, rather. Yeah, that's a better way of putting it. Either way…

"He was kind to me. He took me to a tavern, paid for a hot meal, and a drink and asked me questions. Mainly about how I had gotten to where I was. I didn't tell him, obviously. I was wary of anyone. I didn't feel as if I should be able to talk with another living soul, let alone have them spend money on me. I think he's had a run in with a vampire before, because when he realized I wouldn't touch any of it, he asked me if I was. I didn't answer him, but my lack of answer was probably an answer enough.

"He took me to a blue police box, and told me to wait there and then ran off down the street. I don't know where he went, but he came back with some cups of blood for me – animal blood before you ask. He said something about how the animals were already dead, and even though he thought it was disgusting, he knew that I was suffering. After that, I was a bit more trusting. He gave me a place to sleep that night. I'm not going to go into more detail on that, but it was astounding to say the least. That was my first encounter with the Doctor, but not my last."

Angel felt silent after that, his face brooding as if the memories of his first days with his soul bothered him more deeply than he was letting on. Buffy didn't press him for more information as she turned to Giles and tapped her foot impatiently. The look on her face was pointedly telling him that he should begin talking.

Giles sighed as he sat up straighter in his chair and leaned forward to prop his elbows on the table. He wiped his hands down his face as he stared off into the distance before beginning to talk. Much like Angel, he seemed to sink into his own world as his words told the story of the little information he had.

"I've never actually personally met the Doctor, but I've heard of him. When you are a part of something as heavy involved in mythical creatures as the Watcher's Council, it is hard not to know of him. We have books on him, books that special in detailing the little information that is known about him and theories that have been formed over the years. We know that he travels in the blue police box that Angel mentioned. As strange as it may sound, it is able to move. How and why, we do not know. That is information that the Doctor has apparently jealously guarded.

"We also know that he has a particular fondness for humans, and finds our species captivating. Why? Another answer we do not have, but once again, there are theories. It is said it is because we so closely resemble his own species – he looks very much like us. It is also said that it could be because we have so much potential for growth, which is very true. We have the capacity to go far beyond where we stand now. There were several interviews done with people who claimed to have traveled with him, but unfortunately, I don't rightly remember any of those. I… I'll admit, I was a bit lax in researching his information other than when I had to. The encounters with him are so few and far between that it did not seem pertinent at the time.

"But… we know he shows up when there is an extra-terrestrial threat of some sort to the Earth. We tended to leave those particular cases to him, seeing as he specialized in handling them. He's handled them very effectively in the past, and we had no idea where to even begin with dealing with them. The governments of the world are aware of him, we do know that. They have a special file for him specifically in their databases. They've even begun to develop technology off the various things that have been left behind by the extra-terrestrials he handles.

"Other than that, I can't say I know much more, other than… He is not human. He is not from this planet; he is not even from a planet remotely near here. We also know that he is quite possibly… the only one left of his species."

Silence followed Giles' words as he stared off into space, his attention obviously elsewhere as everyone watched him with thoughtful expressions on their faces. No one spoke for quite some time as they all mulled over what had been said by both Angel and Giles. It was obvious that they were dealing with something that they had little to no information to go off of, and that it was much larger than any of them had expected. Buffy had begun to consider that maybe she didn't need to pursue this matter when Xander suddenly spoke up, shattering the silence as a confused frown distorted his features.

"Wait, are you saying this guy is an alien?"


End file.
